Lost and Found

As one particularly interested in the written word I found the following piece to be an intriguing take on how semantics can affect the philosophical beliefs of an entire culture. I hope you find it an engaging read.
Namaste,
Reiki Clown

I’ve been living with the misguided, if one is to believe the prevailing dogma, notion that those who die, or to say it in a more socially acceptable genteel way--pass on, do so in order to facilitate their soul’s arrival in whatever type of afterlife their spiritual belief system subscribes to. The recent death of a parent has placed a critical spotlight on this personal belief and prompted an evaluation. The use of a four letter word seems to be at the crux of the matter.
So let’s consider the word lost. Lost has several meanings and experts advise that unless this word is used in such a way as to offer no ambiguities regarding the intended meaning a different word should be employed. According to the dictionary lost can describe rapt attention such as being lost in thought, a failure of some sort such as a lost battle, it can refer to something no longer known or practiced such as a lost art, it can mean unable to function as in having lost ones arm or to finding ones way as in having lost the trail. No mention is made of an association with death.
Since the passing of my father seven months ago I’ve become attuned to the ways in which people skirt—now there’s blog worthy word—the issue of death. According to one and all I’ve misplaced my father apparently in much the same way I might lose a set of car keys, a book, my pen, money, occasionally my mind, or my car in a large parking lot--an eventuality, I might add, more likely to occur during inclement weather.
I have been regaled with, “we’re so sorry you’ve lost your father, losing a parent can be so difficult, we’re sorry for your loss”. I’m sure these blithely repeated platitudes are very kindly meant but I haven’t misplaced—a synonym for lost—him! Admittedly the parameters of the relationship have shifted but there’s no need to form a search party. His essence is firmly embedded in my memories and his soul is enjoying the next phase of life.
I do, however, now understand why there are so many things left undone or poorly done in this country. A great preponderance of the population is out searching for a misplaced loved one.
Perhaps an edict should be spread across the land—Stop The Madness Now! Return to your homes, your families, your jobs. It’s all a big mistake, someone misused the word, another repeated the mistake and it spread like wildfire. It’s a matter of semantics--your dearly departed are just that, departed…not lost!